Hot-shoe connectors are commonly used to provide a mechanical means of attachment as well as an electrical connection between two devices. By way of example, many conventional cameras incorporate hot shoe connectors for mounting flash units thereto. A hot-shoe receptacle is located on the top side of a camera, and a hot-shoe plug is disposed on the bottom end of the flash unit for attaching the flash unit to the hot-shoe receptacle of the camera. In assembly, the hot-shoe plug on the flash unit is slidably inserted into the hot-shoe receptacle on the camera. The plug and receptacle may be secured together by a clamping screw that is provided on the flash, or other means. In the center of the hot-shoe receptacle on the camera is a metallic contact that interfaces with a metallic contact on the hot shoe plug of the flash unit. The camera delivers power to the flash unit via the interface between the metallic contacts. The physical dimensions of a standard hot-shoe connector for cameras are defined by the International Organization for Standardization ISO 518:2006.
Hot shoe style connectors have been incorporated into other electronic devices. For example, many helmet-mounted night vision devices incorporate hot shoe connectors. Helmet-mounted night vision devices are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,211,778, 7,049,027, 6,938,276, 6,662,370, and 5,683,831, 4,666,276, 4,329,735, for example, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. In a helmet-mounted night vision device, a battery pack (or other power source) is connected to the helmet-mounted night vision system, via a shielded cable, to provide power to the night vision system. Such an arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,831.
In a helmet-mounted night vision device incorporating a hot shoe connector, a hot shoe receptacle of the removable battery pack is mounted to a hot-shoe plug provided on the rear or side of the helmet. Such an arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,831. Users often mount the battery pack to the helmet when the helmet is already fastened to the head. To connect the hot shoe receptacle to the hot shoe plug, the user brings the battery pack to the rear or the side of the helmet with one hand. The user then orients the hot shoe receptacle with respect to the hot shoe plug. By virtue of the design of the hot shoe plug and the hot shoe receptacle, the plug and the receptacle align together along a single orientation. Thus, the user must manipulate the battery pack and/or the helmet until the proper orientation is achieved. Once the plug and the receptacle are properly oriented, the user inserts the plug into the receptacle. A spring loaded lever or a pin that is provided on the battery pack snaps into a recess defined on the hot shoe plug thereby locking the battery pack to the helmet. To release the battery pack from the helmet, the user translates the spring loaded lever to release the plug from the receptacle. With the same hand or another hand, the user then removes the battery pack from the helmet.
The foregoing steps for mounting the battery pack onto the helmet may be perceived as difficult and inconvenient for some users, especially for those with limited dexterity. More particularly, manipulating the hot shoe connector is sometimes made difficult by the possibility that the user is blindly reaching to the side or rear of his or her head and manipulating the battery pack and/or the helmet until the proper orientation is achieved. These factors hinder the installation of battery packs onto the helmet, which can be problematic in a battle scenario.
In view of the foregoing, there is a continuing need to further develop and refine connectors for mechanically and electrically connecting two devices together, in the interests of performance, convenience, manufacturability and modularity.